Yes, the Rangers’ pitching was terrible last season and yes, offensively they put together the fewest runs by a Rangers’ team in a decade. But despite that, Manager Ron Washington now believes the main priority for spring training is defense.
I obviously understand why Washington is concerned with the fielding because the statistics show how horrendous they were: ranked last in the AL in fielding percentage (.980) and errors (124) and allowed the most unearned runs (89). Without a doubt they need to do something to improve those numbers because they are god right awful, but I still think if they want to win, pitching should be the main concern.
The Rangers also have their own method, using a zone rating as an index, that measures a player’s efficiency at balls hit into their typical fielding zone. The Rangers ranked below the major league average in five of the seven positions (not including pitcher and catcher) in which a zone rating is calculated. Although there is no official team statistic, this is another indicator of how bad their defense really is.